Opinions on Ducati ST3

Both my bikes, an inline-4 and a V-twin, cost around $200 every 6000kms, with valve clearances checked and adjusted if need be at
24000 kms (around $500 for service and valve clearances).

 

Fantastic bike to ride. Great sound, handling, performance, feel and looks.

Expensive to service every 10,000KM. Approx $600-800 (Minor-Major)

Free service offer only covers first and 10,000KM services. 1st major
service at 20,000 (new belts required) will hurt.

Don't buy one if you're looking for a cheap ride.

Do buy one if you are looking to ride one of the most soulful and
versatile bikes on the road (and have the money!)

Wal.

 

Get a Honda Deauville--it's almost the same as an ST3.
Full fairing,V motor with three valves per cylinder,standard panniers,it's
made in Europe...and it's at just as ugly as the ST3...

Postman Pat (Actual bike may differ from opinions offered above)

 

My local Ducati dealer does not have a demo ST3 so it makes things a little hard for the desision making process.

Thats common... you are expected to buy unaware of what sort of
shitheap your dishing out coin on.

 

[cough] XJ900 [cough].
$20 oil-and-filter every 10,000

 

Yeah OK; you're still funny on the 'net....

 

Lets compare service cost per km for a complete major service cycle.

You're gonna pay out $200 @ 6k, 12k and 18k, then $500 @ 24k or 4.58c/km

At a dealer[1], I'd pay $700 @ 10k and $900 @ 20k, or 8c/km. That only gets
me 10,000km oil changes though. Pretty much everyone says to do oil @
5000km, so I'd be adding another $80 @ 5k and 15k, which brings my cost up
to 8.8c/km.

So its not 4 times as expensive, but it is twice as expensive.

Out of interest, what do you get done at the 6k services that costs $200? I
thought they were just oil changes?

big

[1] of course, what I actually pay is ~$40 every 5k for oil changes (oil
and filter), and $120 every 20k for the belts plus $8 for spark plugs, $12
for a fuel filter, $15 for brake fluid. Mike at Gowies lets me swap over
shims for free. So I'm down at 1.77c/km plus some of my free time...

 

On a Guzzi, the need for valve adjustment is determined by ear. I last
adjusted mine circa 1900, about 70,000 kms ago. Sound OK.

Theo

 

An ST3 is similar to a Dullville??

Theo

 

Oops, make that 1999.

Theo

 

Those two are so close together on the Theo evolutionary scale....

 

Are you saying the Dullville isn't as ugly as the ST3?

 

I haven't done mine in nearly 150,000kms!

 

i knew you were an old bastard

 

where the **** are you leaching internet??

 

They've got mobile coverage in some parts of the Wild West.... just.

 

The Diversion 900S isn't any more expensive to run that that either,
although I reckon the earlier XJ9's have a bit more grunt!


G-S

 

Well on PAPER they have an extra 10hp but my seat-of-the-pants,
back-to-back comparison gave the result to the Divvy by a clear margin.
We never actually lined the two up for a run though......

 

From my understanding, most of the cost is labour in not only changing the oil and maybe the filter, but they also go over the bike
checking all bolts, bushes, etc.

This is at a Honda dealer.

 

The Divvy has shorter gearing than the XJ9, the divvy is revving at about
5200 at 110. From memory the XJ9 was only revving about 4500 at 110 (it's
a while since I rode one though).

That would make top gear on the Divvy equal to about 4th on the XJ9, it's a
simple trick manufacturers of both cars and bikes use to cover a lack of
outright horsepower... anyone remember the 173 HQ holden *sigh*.


G-S